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Crowns

Dental Crowns

A crown is a type of dental restoration which completely caps or encircles a tooth or dental implant. Crowns are often needed when a large cavity threatens the ongoing health of a tooth.

There are several types of dental crowns, with the following being the main 3 types:

1. Zirconia Crowns |  What we Recommend – “Bruxzir® Crown”

Zirconium is becoming one of the most chosen materials for dental crowns. Its many advantages include:

– Extraordinarily tough
– Can withstand wear and tear
– Translucent enough to be similar to natural teeth
– Less tooth removal
– No Metal fuse
– Modifiable size, shape and color
– Biocompatible

BruxZir® Solid Zirconia is is the #1 prescribed brand of full-contour zirconia in North America. Providing a stronger and more durable cementable solution, BruxZir restorations can be used in almost any clinical situation and are an esthetic alternative to cast gold and metal occlusal PFMs.

BruxZir® Solid Zirconia is a monolithic zirconia crown, bridge, screw-retained implant crown, full-arch fixed implant solution, inlay or onlay with no porcelain overlay.

Your dentists at Pasadena Family Dental are authorized professionals in working with Bruxzir Crowns & Bridges.

Bruxzir vs. PFM | Hammer Test

 

Bruxzir Crown

bruxzir crown pasadena dentist
2.  Porcelain Fused to Metal (PFM) Crown:

Porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns (PFMs) have a metal shell on which is fused a veneer of porcelain in a high heat oven. The metal provides strong compression and tensile strength, and the porcelain gives the crown a white tooth-like appearance, suitable for front teeth restorations. These crowns are often made with a partial veneer that covers only the aspects of the crown that are visible. The remaining surfaces of the crown are bare metal. A variety of metal alloys containing precious metals and base metals can be used. The porcelain can be color matched to the adjacent teeth or gingivae.

Disadvantages:

– May wear opposing teeth:
The porcelain surface of a PFM crown may cause significant wear on those teeth (or dental restorations) that bite against it.

In cases where a PFM’s surface retains the glass-like glaze it received when made, this issue is usually of limited concern. But in situations where the crown’s bite has been adjusted by trimming and its porcelain is not re-glazed or polished adequately, excessive wear may occur. People who have a significant tooth-grinding habit are especially at risk.

– May cause gum recession

– Have poor biocompatibilty with gums

3. Porcelain Fused to Metal (PFM) Crown:

Full gold crowns (FGCs) consist entirely of a single piece of alloy. Although referred to as a gold crown, this type of crown is actually composed of many different types of elements, including but not limited to gold, platinum, palladium, silver, copper and tin. The first four elements listed are noble metals, while the last two listed are base metals. Full gold crowns are of better quality when they are high in noble content. According to the American Dental Association, full gold crown alloys can only be labeled as high noble when they contain at least 60% noble metal, of which at least 40% must be gold.

Even with these types of crowns, a patient may experience some side-effects and issues.  Here at Pasadena Family Dental, we recommend usage of Zirconia crowns, specifically the Bruxzir type.

When is a dental crown needed?

There are a variety of situations that require a tooth to be restored with a dental crown. The following are the most common:

Large filling: When a tooth has a cavity or fracture that involves half the width of the tooth or more, it needs to be covered with a crown. This is because the remaining tooth around the large filling is so weak that it is prone to fracture. Sometimes a large filling that has been in the mouth for a while will need to be replaced with a crown because the tooth shows signs of stress and cracks around the filling.

Root canal: Root canal treatment leaves the tooth hollowed out and predisposes the remaining tooth to cracking. So, a tooth that has had a root canal almost always needs to be restored with a crown immediately to prevent it from fracturing.

Cracked tooth syndrome: This is a condition whereby a patient has fractures inside a tooth that cause pain when it is chewed on a certain way. Chewing produces stress on fracture lines that make it feel like it is splitting apart. A crown will hold the tooth together and redistribute the stress evenly throughout the tooth, eliminating the pain in most instances. In these situations, it is best to leave a temporary crown on for a while to make sure the pain goes away and the tooth doesn’t require a root canal.

Broken cusps: Cusps frequently break off of teeth due to trauma or large existing fillings. Since the cusps are the part of the tooth that take the most stress during chewing, they need to be completely covered or the tooth or filling will keep fracturing. Sometimes the tooth breaks all the way to the bone, and a crown-lengthening procedure is necessary. This means the bone and gums need to be trimmed down below the edge of the fractured part of the tooth so the margin of the crown can be placed on healthy, strong tooth structure.

Excessive wear of teeth: If a person has a habit of grinding their teeth, the teeth will become shorter over time. The teeth can also wear away due to acid erosion caused by gastrointestinal acid reflux (GERD), bulimia, or an acidic diet. Sometimes, the enamel will wear away completely, leaving small, soft teeth. Over time, the bite can collapse and the only way of restoring the teeth properly is by increasing the bite and covering the teeth with crowns.

Undesirable appearance of teeth: Teeth that have an unacceptable appearance due to color, shape, or spaces between teeth can be made to look very natural and beautiful with crowns. Dental veneers are a very effective and conservative way of enhancing the look of the front teeth. They can be made to look very natural, and sometimes they don’t even require preparing or shaving the existing teeth.

Other: Crowns are placed on dental implants to restore spaces left from missing teeth. Another way of filling these spaces is with dental bridges, which are made from crowns on the teeth next to the spaces attached to fake teeth in the middle. If teeth are loose, crowns can be placed on multiple teeth and splinted together to provide more stability.

Is there pain associated with getting a dental crown?

The tooth being restored is numbed so that it isn’t painful during the crown preparation. This requires a shot in the gums of lidocaine or another local anesthetic. After the procedure is over and the anesthesia has worn off, the patient may feel some sensitivity with the temporary crown or some soreness in the gums around the tooth. The pain is very minimal though and shouldn’t last long.

Work by: Pasadena Family, Cosmetic, and Implant Dentistry

 

 

dental crown pasadena

 

 

BruxZir® Solid Zirconia | Super Strong & Durable

bruxzir crown pasadena dentist

Bruxzir vs. PFM Crown | Hammer Test

Porcelain Crown Procedure

All-Porcelain Crowns

HomeCare: Permanent Crown

Homecare: Permanent Crowns

Now that we’ve placed your permanent crown, it’s important to follow these recommendations to ensure its success:

Chewing and eating

If we used an anesthetic during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off.

To protect your crown, avoid chewing ice or other hard objects.

Brushing and flossing

Brush and floss normally, but if your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold, or pressure, you can use a desensitizing toothpaste. If sensitivity increases or persists beyond a few days, call us.

Medication and discomfort

Take antibiotics or other medications only as directed. To reduce any discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water. It’s normal for your gums to be sore for several days.

When to call us

Call our office if your bite feels uneven, you have persistent sensitivity or discomfort, or if you have any questions or concerns.

VIEW PRINTABLE HOME INSTRUCTIONS

HomeCare: Temporary Crown

Now that we’ve placed a temporary crown, it’s important to follow these recommendations to ensure the success of your final restoration:

Chewing and eating:

If we used an anesthetic during the procedure, avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off.
Avoid chewing for at least one  half-hour to allow the temporary
cement to set.

To keep your temporary in place, avoid eating hard or sticky foods, especially chewing gum. If possible, chew only on the opposite side of your mouth.

Brushing and flossing

Brush normally, but floss very carefully. Remove floss from the side to prevent removal of the temporary crown.

If your teeth are sensitive to hot, cold, or pressure, use desensitizing toothpaste. If sensitivity increases or persists beyond a few days, call us.

Medication and discomfort:

Take antibiotics or other medications only as directed. To reduce any discomfort or swelling, rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water. It’s
normal for your gums to be sore for several days.

When to call us

Call us if your temporary crown comes off.  Save the temporary so we can recement it.  It’s very important for the proper fit of your final crown that your temporary stay in place.

Call our office if your bite feels uneven, you have persistent sensitivity or discomfort, or if you have any questions or concerns.

VIEW PRINTABLE HOME INSTRUCTIONS